Soon
by RocksandCoffee
Summary: Season Four Alternate Universe. A series of one-shots from each episode, starting with Cops and Robbers.
1. Cops and Robbers

**Soon**

**Disclaimer**: Not mine, never will be.

**Summary: **Alternate Cops &amp; Robbers ending

_Happy (Early) Birthday to the bestest buddy out there._ :)

* * *

Castle watched Kate as she finished her wine. It had been a wonderful evening, following one of the most eventful days he'd ever gone through. He was more than glad that she agreed to come for dinner, and he hoped they could talk about things... today... anything... for the rest of the night.

Unfortunately, Kate was expected at the precinct tomorrow, so she was already leaving. She had been quite open, especially after Mother and Alexis had excused themselves. But again, the time had passed too quickly.

She set her empty glass on the cabinet and smiled as he approached. He could hardly fathom how deeply he wanted to see that particular smile again. It was the same she had worn earlier, when she found him with the rest of the hostages.

Kate reached for his hands, surprising him, and making him smile at her touch. "Thank you so much for tonight, Castle," she said, then ducked her head shyly, avoiding his gaze, "I wish I could stay longer."

He gently squeezed her fingers, then freed his right hand to lift her chin up. Her lashes fluttered a few times before she focused on him. "Me, too," he answered, "Don't forget, I do have an extra room. We could talk more - you wouldn't have to worry about getting back to your place so late."

Kate opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. She moved closer, wrapping her arms around his neck, hugging him and swaying a bit before she let him go.

Castle couldn't get it out of his head, how in that brief moment, she smelled like vanilla and honey... and home. "Please stay a little longer. I..." he took a moment to gather his thoughts. Words were coming to him a hundred times faster than he could possibly assimilate. "It's for purely selfish reasons," he finally admitted, chuckling some under his breath, knowing he probably sounded like some sort of idiot. "I just want to spend a little time with you without distractions. You know, we've never had that?"

Kate smiled and agreed, "Yeah, I do. There is always someone or something getting in the way."

"Yeah, always." Slowly, he leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. At the last possible moment, Kate turned and their lips met. It surprised him, but he didn't back away, he only stayed there, sliding his lips against hers, so in sync like they always are.

"You have no idea how much I want to stay," Kate said when they parted, their foreheads touching as they breathed each other in.

He shook his head slightly, never moving from her touch, "Oh, I think I do, but I understand."

Kate bumped her nose against his, and kissed him again. He loved the feel of her, so warm against him. "I really want to stay and totally lose myself, but... I'm not ready. I just need a little more time. I promise you, Rick, I'm almost there."

It filled him with hope and hurt at the same time. Castle couldn't help but look away. If she met his eyes, he wasn't sure how he would react. "Then you should go, for both our sakes."

She caressed his cheek, and turned his head so he would look at her. Her eyes were glistening, and all he wanted to do was hold her until the tears stopped. "That wall I told you about? It's coming down. Just a little more time is all I ask. Tonight," she took in a deep breath, then said, "If I stay tonight... Castle, you deserve the truth. I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" He was surprised to hear her say so. This was a huge confession coming from Kate, and he wanted to do everything in his power to keep her from feeling this way.

"I've never felt this way for anyone," she admitted, "I'm scared of what will happen, of what we'll become, and right now, that's overwhelming, almost terrifying." She pulled him in to another hug, relaxed and leaning into him as she said, "I have more work to do before I can do this."

Castle held her. He could stay like this forever, but his curiosity wouldn't shut up. "Work?" he questioned into her hair, taking in all he could of her. "What kind of work?"

She sighed and he felt her hold on him tighten. It was like she'd wished she hadn't said so much. "I'm in therapy. I've put in a lot of time there, trying to get past that day and_ accept all of it._" She pulled back and looked him directly in the eyes, and he understood what she was telling him. "It's helping, but I'm not where I want to be. Yet."

Yet. That's a good word. It was full of promise. "Soon?"

"Yes, soon." She leaned back, her arms still around him as she nodded and said, "I hope I'm not asking for too much."

"It's not too much," Castle answered as he smiled, and she did as well. This had to have been incredibly difficult for her. "As long as we're together in the end, it'll be worth the wait."

"Okay."

Slowly, so slowly, Kate slipped from his arms, her eyes never leaving his as she walked out of the loft. It was several minutes after the door closed before he could finally make himself move. His future suddenly seemed so close, so full of hope, and he could almost touch it.

And all he had to do was to give her the time she needed, and for Kate Beckett, he didn't mind waiting.


	2. Heartbreak Hotel

**Summary:** A fluffy (maybe even sappy) addition to "Heartbreak Hotel"

**A/N**: So this has become a multi-chapter story, or maybe more of a series of new endings and a few mid-ep pieces for most of the S4 episodes through _Always_. I may end up and do all of the eps, but haven't made that decision yet. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

*white blinding noise* *head exploding in pain*

Castle cracked his eyes open, his hand reaching for the thing making the noise so he could kill it, strangle it, something.

But then, Kate's face came into focus on the screen of his phone. She was calling him.

"Hey," he said as he answered the call and sat up on the couch, his body complaining of his every move. How long had he laid here?

"Hey, Castle," answered Kate, "How are you feeling?"

He took in a deep breath, hoping his mind would come out of the alcohol-induced fog. "I'm okay, how about you?"

"I'm not the one who's hung over," she laughed, then said, "How about you open your door?"

"Why? Is this some kind of weird come on? There's no one here, and I'm talking to you." He rubbed his hand over his face and scraped his fingers through is hair. He really needed to never do something like last night again.

"Because," there was a knock on his door, "I'm here, and I've been ringing the doorbell for the past five minutes."

Castle jumped to his feet, knocked over the lamp, and immediately had to sit back down when the room spun and black spots started blurring his vision.

"Take your time, Trigger," Kate teased, he could hear her amusement in her voice, "I heard that out here."

"Very funny," he said, then tried standing again, this time, not so fast. "I'll be there in a sec."

He turned his phone off and carefully made his way to the door, stumbling sideways for part of it. It had been a long time since he'd had partied that hard. Ryan should thank him for the festivities, if Jenny let him live through the night.

Slowly, he opened the door, hardly able to keep in the pounding light-headed excitement as Kate stepped inside. It would have been easier if his head didn't hurt so.

"Sit down," she said, brushing past him with a large bag that smelled wonderful. "I brought dinner."

"Dinner? From the Comfort Food truck?" he asked, amazed by her. His head started to clear a little, just being in her presence. "I can smell the biscuits."

"Yes, early dinner. I heard you had a lot of fun last night, and figured you would be sleeping it off for a while. I guess I was right, since I woke you up." She smiled as she set the bag on the kitchen table. "There's macaroni and a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches, and I got a cup of chicken noodle soup for you, since I didn't know how your stomach was holding up."

It rumbled furiously in that moment, and he could feel the heat radiating from his face. It served him right; he hadn't eaten since last night, and he had no idea how long ago that was.

"I take it that was a good choice?" she asked, barely keeping the amusement from her features.

She really was beautiful beyond words, and it was hard to not tell her this time. "Yeah, I guess so," he joked, and took a seat across from her, trying not to look like he was intensely curious about the contents of the bag. "Did you get-"

"Hot chocolate," she stated, setting the travel mug in front of him. It was like she read his mind. "And it's still hot, so be careful."

Kate gave him the soup and set the other Styrofoam containers out. She handed him a plastic spoon and fork and said, "Have at it!"

If he didn't love her before, it definitely was true now. It brought tears to his eyes, knowing that she was here, doing this, just because. No one had ever done something like this for him before, and his heart swelled with it.

"You really should stop staring and eat before it all goes cold," Kate said, briefly meeting his eyes.

He smiled and dug in, liking this new stage of their relationship.

Castle took a spoonful of soup and almost instantly felt his headache lessen. "I feel better already. Thanks for coming here, and bringing this."

When Kate smiled in return, it made him feel warm all over. "You would have done the same for me. It's what partners do, you know."

"Yeah, I do," he said, enjoying the food. And the company.


	3. Kill Shot

**Summary:** An alternate scene in _Kill Shot_

**A/N:** So this has become a multi-chapter story. Sort of a series of new endings and inserts for most of the episodes through _Always_. I may end up and do all of the eps, but haven't made that decision yet. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Castle was in his kitchen, searching through the refrigerator and freezer, trying to find something to eat. His mind wouldn't stop thinking about Kate, and how this sniper case was putting her into a free fall. It was difficult to think about anything else, much less food, and his appetite was almost non-existent.

There was a sound at the door - not quite a knock, but definitely one signifying a person was on the other side.

He checked the time. It was late, Alexis was at a friend's house and his mother was out on the town. When he heard it again, he walked quickly to the door, his heart beginning to race and his mind buzzing with concern.

When he opened the door, Kate was leaning heavily against the door jamb. Her hair was a mess, her eyes unfocused, and her arms were crossed over her chest. "Cas-"

He briefly saw the bloodstains on her shirt before she stumbled into him. "Kate - you're bleeding," he said, stating the obvious. He took her gently into his arms and pushed down the panic that threatened to swallow him whole. He had gone this route once - he wasn't sure if he could do it again.

Carefully, Castle helped her to the couch and let her lay down. "Let me see what happened," he said as he knelt by her side, not sure how he managed to sound so calm.

She let him take her right arm and look it over. There didn't seem to be an injury there or to her chest, and he let out the lungful of air he didn't realize he was holding. When he reached for her left, she pulled away slightly, her eyes full of tears.

"I can't do it, Castle," said Kate, "I thought I was strong, thought I could do this." Her words were slurred, sounded so final and ended on a sob. "I'm weak."

When she reached for him, he took her hand, his heart breaking for her. "Even the strongest person break sometimes," he said, "It doesn't make us weak, it just means we're human."

Tears fell from her eyes as she turned her arm for him to see. The cut didn't look deep enough to require medical attention, and he needed to do something even though he was hesitant to leave her side. "I've got to get a bandage for your arm," he said as he got to his feet, "I'll be right back, Kate. Stay here, and stay still. Okay?"

She nodded as more tears streaked silently down her cheeks.

Castle's mind was reeling with memories of her blood soaking the cemetery lawn as he dug through his medicine cabinet. The small door gave a high-pitched squeak as he closed it, reminding him of when she flat lined. He rushed back to Kate, fumbling quite a bit with his hands full of gauze, tape, and ointment.

As he rounded the couch, he found her asleep, snoring lightly.

He sighed as he knelt by her side again, relief washing over him in waves with the rise and fall of her chest. He was glad she trusted him enough to come here in her time of need and he briefly wondered what happened, how she got cut. What he knew was that this case was taxing on her and she wouldn't admit it. Even with this new openness between them, she had suddenly closed up and pushed him away.

It didn't take a genius to see she had decided drinking it away was the answer. Perhaps it was clumsiness due to the alcohol, some kind of accident or a fall that did it.

There was a story, but it would have to wait. He needed to quit analyzing and help her. Castle slowly pulled her left arm toward him and went about cleaning the wound and bandaging it. He wished he could do something about the blood on her shirt, but he didn't want to wake her and there was no way he would undress her without permission, even if they had been slowly growing closer.

Kate shifted and curled up on her side when he was finished with her arm, so he covered her with a blanket. He tucked her in and she mumbled something, so he stopped and listened. It was all broken words and nonsense.

There was a small waste basket at the end of the couch that he moved closer to her, then brought aspirin and a bottle of water from the kitchen and set them on the coffee table. Hopefully, not all of it would be needed, but it was there, just in case.

Castle took his laptop from his office and sat on the other chair so he would be there the moment she woke up. As he opened the document and began to type, she mumbled again. Curiosity made him stop what he was doing and listen.

Kate sighed heavily and rolled over.

"'Love you, Castle."

Her quiet words rang clearly to him, filling his heart to the point he wanted to burst. He almost couldn't believe he understood her correctly. "I love you, too, Kate," he softly answered, barely keeping himself from yelling it to the world.

"I know."

Castle gazed at her, his heart pounding, the sound of blood rushing in his ears as he realized - or thought he realized - what she said. Kate shifted a little more, seeming to snuggle deeper into the blanket, and he watched her closed eyes. She was still asleep.

He wasn't sure if this was something he should bring up later, but he already knew, even if she hadn't said the words. Those three, heart-lifting, life-changing words.

Of course, if she asked, he wouldn't lie, but in the meantime, he would hold on to those words, treasure them, until the day she felt ready to say them again.


	4. Cuffed

**Summary: **Alternate ending to Cuffed

**A/N:** Thanks for the faves, follows, and reviews! They are all much appreciated!

_Still for my best friend. :)_

* * *

Castle's mind was still on the whole "hitched" conversation as Kate tucked her helmet under her arm and moved to leave.

"Next time, let's do it without the tiger, okay?"

He couldn't believe his ears. "Uh, next time?" Was she serious? This day had been so... intense... he wasn't quite sure if she was joking or not.

He turned to watch her as she smiled and walked toward the elevator. Her smile... that was definitely something. And he had been seeing a lot more of it lately.

Oh, and her helmet. That meant she came in on her motorcycle. Castle started to follow, but something stopped him. She was still looking at him, and he was sure that was a leer that played across her face just as the doors to the elevators closed. Too late.

But-

It was all too much, and curiosity was starting... no, it already had him half-dead. These past few weeks had been so new, and it was still so exciting to have Kate playing and teasing with him. Castle jogged to the stairwell and ran down the steps, taking them two at a time, in hopes he could catch her before she left.

He pushed through the door into the lobby just as she turned for the parking garage. He gasped in a lungful of air and called, "Kate! Wait up!"

She stopped and faced him as he staggered toward her. He was so out of shape, it wasn't funny.

"Castle? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He pulled in a deep breath, "I wanted to catch you before you left-"

She was so cute when she was amused. He really should tell her that some time. "Castle, you know you could have sent a text, right? I would have waited."

Okay, so she caught him not thinking again. And the way she said that she would have waited... "I, uh, didn't think about that at the time."

Kate smiled again, and there was something a little different in her eyes when she spoke, "You want a ride?"

Castle was almost at a loss for words. A ride? On her bike? He would be insane to turn that down. "Sure, yeah, I think, I think I would like that."

"Then, let's go. I want to get something to eat. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

"Sounds like a date," he said, almost immediately wanting to kick himself. He didn't want to push her at all, but those words just fell out of his mouth.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" Kate's eyes met his for almost a moment too long, then she turned toward the garage. Castle followed her, unable and unwilling to do anything else.


	5. Till Death

**Summary: **An addition to** Till Death Do Us Part**

**A/N:** Apologies for this being so extremely long in posting. It's been on my drive for a while, but I haven't had the motivation or time to give it proper attention. I gave it a try tonight and hope it worked - Enjoy!

* * *

Castle stared at his phone, trying to get up the nerve to call. It was silly, if he was honest with himself. How often did he call Kate? It wasn't like he hadn't called her before, but this was different.

He watched Alexis, again, as she floated through the loft. It was nice, seeing her so free and in love again, and there was no way going with him to a wedding could compete with a Lady Gaga concert.

So, back to the phone.

He tapped Kate's picture and sat still, listening to the ring at the other end of the line. Before the third chime, she picked up.

"Hey, Castle, how's it going?"

"Oh, it's going all right," he answered, and couldn't help but smile. "Do you mind if I ask a question?"

"That's twice you've asked today, and you never do that," Kate replied, "What's up?"

"It's about Ryan's wedding." Rick took a deep breath and let it out slowly. They had gone out on a 'date' almost a week ago, but it was all still so new. Things were progressing slowly, like it should, and he didn't want to kill what they had gained. It almost felt like this could be too much.

Or maybe he was nervous.

"Alexis has a date and won't be able to go with me. I know you said you needed more time, and I don't want to be presumptuous, but-"

"I'd love to."

"I, uh, what?" He had to hear it again. She didn't even hear the entire question and it sounded like she had agreed to go with him.

"Castle? Are you still there?" Kate's voice pulled him out of his inability to breathe. "I said I would love to go with you to Ryan and Jenny's wedding."

"Yeah, I'm... well, amazed." His heart filled with all the possibilities in his future. "Thank you, Kate. You saved me from having to sit at the Single's Table."

Her laughter was musical as she replied, "That goes for both of us, you know. Thank you for asking me to be your plus-one."

"I can't wait to see you." Again, the words fell out of his mouth before he could stop them, and for a split second, wished he hadn't spoken.

"Same here," she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I'll see you tomorrow, Castle."

"Until tomorrow," he answered, and ended the call.

Rick looked at his watch. Fifteen hours and forty-seven minutes until Kate would be walking arm-in-arm with him. Sleep would be hard to find tonight, but it would be worth it.


End file.
